


In Which Shiro is a Veterinarian and Keith is a cat

by rizzbug



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Cat!Keith, Doctor Shiro (Voltron), Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Keith is a cat, Shiro (Voltron) is a Good Friend, You heard me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-24
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-08-07 01:42:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16399004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rizzbug/pseuds/rizzbug
Summary: Keith is a rescued stray and Shiro is a nice vet who helps him at the Voltron Veterinary Clinic. This is pure fluff.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is purely me indulging in wanting Keith as a cat and Shiro taking care of him.

“SHIRO! HELP!”

Shiro looked up from his computer, glasses sliding slightly down the bridge of his nose. He hesitated, waiting for some sound of struggle. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to help Lance. It was just that Lance had a history of crying wolf only for it to be a scared dog that had pissed on the floor or a cat whose claw got caught in his shirt. For a vet assistant Lance wasn’t the most tactful, especially with animals who needed a bit more help. 

In the next few moments there was a sound of metal clanging and hissing. Alright, maybe there was a problem after all. 

“SHIRO!” Lance shrieked.

Shiro got up and walked quickly down the short hall to the exam rooms. He followed the sound of Lance trying to pacify the animal he was working with. 

“Good kitty! Goo-SHIRO COME ON MAN!”

Shiro rounded into the exam room. “What’s going on?”

Lance was on one side of the room, arms raised in defense over his head. There were bleeding scratches covering his forearms. 

A metal tray was lying on the floor, all the tools discarded on the floor. There were bloody towels strewn everywhere. And the source of all this chaos was a small inky black spot in the corner of the room. Hackles raised, teeth bared and bloody claws out, the kitten hissed as Shiro walked in. 

Shiro blinked and looked at Lance. “He’s five pounds soaking wet.” 

“It’s a menace is what it is!” Lance yelled. “Look at my arms!” 

Shiro sighed. “Go get cleaned up. I’ll get him settled and tested.”

Lance shot one more angry look at the kitten before marching out indignantly, muttering under his breath about rabies and bad luck.

Shiro closed the door behind him and looked at the kitten. He hadn’t moved since Shiro first walked in. That wasn’t a great sign. The kitten didn’t trust humans. This meant it was going to be a long day.

But this is what Shiro became a veterinarian for. He studied for years and got his degree to help animals like these. Animals who were scared and without anyone in the world to look out for them. It was his calling that he heard since he was a kid.

So it would be a long day. As long as the little kitten got the help he needed.

Shiro rolled his shoulders back slightly and nodded to himself, determined. He smiled softly and walked over slowly to pluck two gloves from a box next to the sink. He pulled them carefully over his hands, taking extra care with his prosthetic and making sure to not snap them. He didn’t want to startle the kitten any more than he already was. 

Shiro walked slowly but with intention to examination table, lifting up the clipboard Lance left behind. Out of his peripherals he could see the kitten tracking his every movement, small head swiveling slowly.

Shiro understood a bit better as he glanced over the mostly empty sheet of paper. The stray had been dropped off last night in one of their emergency overnight boxes by a good samaritan. Meaning he spent the night alone, locked in a box and listening to other animals who were dropped off, probably just as distressed. On top of whatever trauma he had already experienced. Shiro sighed. No wonder the kitten was scared. He didn’t know what to expect. 

He looked over to the kitten and smiled. “We’ll get you right as rain, alright?” He said gently. The kitten stared at him with deep violet eyes. 

Looking over the chart, there wasn’t much information other than color and location where he was found. Not surprising. There was also a note that the kitten was bleeding but it was unclear of the source. That would explain the temper. A wounded animal would try to defend itself if it was hurt or scared. 

He set the tray down and dug a hand into the pocket of his white coat. Shiro found keeping treats in his pockets made it easier and faster to help settle animals. Food was a notion every creature was familiar with. 

He walked over closer to the kitten, each step careful and deliberate. As he got closer the kitten hissed again and tried to press himself against the wall as much as possible.

Shiro knelt down and held out a hand. “Hey.” He said gently. “Hey little guy. My name’s Shiro. I’m going to help you, okay?”

The kitten stared at him, hackles slowly lowering. 

Shiro smiled softly and held out a couple of small pieces of hard cat food. The kitten watched him warily. His small pink nose twitched as he smelled the air. 

It took a long while. Shiro’s legs started to ache but he forced himself to be as still as possible. He didn’t want to scare the kitten with any sudden moves. 

Eventually the kitten peeled himself away from the wall slowly. He took a hesitant step forward, and then another. His eyes never left Shiro’s, but eventually his nose was only a short distance from Shiro’s hand. He sniffed the pieces of food before licking them slowly. Shiro grinned, feeling victorious. 

“There you go buddy.”  
—  
After almost two hours Shiro was able to coax the kitten into letting him be picked up and lifted onto the examination table. Shiro was able to stroke his back slowly with one gloved hand while the other checked his teeth and eyes. 

The kitten seemed healthy enough, if a little underweight and malnourished. Nothing some food and fluids wouldn’t fix. 

Then it came to the cut. It was on the kitten’s chest, slightly tucked next to his right arm and hidden by his black fur. It was fairly deep, and Shiro bit his lip. Definitely needed stitches. It seemed like it wasn’t bleeding as much as it had been, but there was no telling how old this wound was or how much blood the kitten had lost. 

“You’re not so bad huh little guy?” Shiro said when he finished the exam. He took off his gloves and tossed them into the trash. “Let’s get you fixed up and clean, and then you can rest up.” 

He turned to leave when there was a small thump. He glanced behind him to see the exam table was vacant and the kitten was standing right behind him. His tail curled and he blinked up at Shiro curiously. 

Shiro grinned softly. “Okay, you can come.” 

He got a towel from above the sink and wrapped the kitten in it to stop the bleeding a bit. The kitten was stiff but not outwardly murderous about being handled. He took advantage of this new height and took in his surroundings. His head darted back and forth as Shiro walked, seeing all the other personnel working there. 

A familiar face walked up and Lance scowled at the two. “What, you two are best friends now?!”

The kitten hissed and Shiro put a gentle hand over his small back. It settled the kitten but he still kept his eyes on Lance, ready to pounce.

“Lance. Come on, you know we have to be patient. He’s just scared.” Shiro said gently, trying not to scare the kitten any more than he already was. 

A snort came from behind the nurse’s station. “Lance and patience aren’t compatible.” Pidge said. 

Lance groaned. “I am SO patient! The most patient!”

Shiro and Pidge shared an exasperated look. 

Lance pointed at Pidge in an accusatory manner. “And you! What are you doing out of the lab?!”

Pidge raised a cup of coffee as a way of explaining. 

Lance huffed. “Yeah well...fine. So do I have rabies or what?”

“No unfortunately the only disease you have is the one stuck to your face.”

“HEY!”

“Guys.” Shiro said sternly. Lance stuck his tongue out at Pidge who rolled their eyes. 

“Pidge, I’m going to need you to take a sample from this guy. Make sure nothing is infected.” 

Pidge saluted. “Aye aye.”

Shiro couldn’t help but smile. “Lance, you’re going to help me stitch him up.” 

Lance scoffed and was about to reply when Allura walked in for her shift, lunch bag and purse in tow. “Ooh who is this?” She asked, gravitating immediately to Shiro and petting the kitten. Both the kitten and Lance seemed annoyed by this. 

“What a cutie.”

Shiro beamed, oddly proud. “He’s a stray. Got brought in last night.”

“And I was just about to help fix him up!” Lance said, puffing his chest out.

Pidge rolled their eyes.

Allura giggled. “I’m sure you were. Well if he needs a home I’ll be happy to foster him.”

Lance gasped. “Allura you-“

“Alright, Lance. Let’s go.” Shiro said, heading for another room. Lance followed, waving goodbye to Allura with a little too much enthusiasm.   
—  
Shiro managed to put the kitten under for the simple procedure. He had Lance hold the kitten as Shiro sewed his wound up and took a sample for Pidge. Once it was done Shiro sent Lance to Pidge with the sample.

Alone, Shiro watched the kitten sleep soundly. “You’ll be alright in no time.” He promised.

Shiro waited with him until he came back around. His tail flicked lazily as he took in his surroundings. For a second when their eyes locked it felt like the kitten recognized Shiro. He smiled and scratched behind the kitten’s ear. “You did good.” He assured.

Once the kitten was more aware of himself Shiro took him to the wash room quickly. He wanted to get this done before the sleeping gas went through the kitten and left him afraid and on the attack again.

“Alright. Let’s get you cleaned.”

It would be a lie if Shiro said he wasn’t nervous about bathing the kitten. Cats and their aversion to water and whatnot. And this little guy already had a temper and wasn’t afraid to attack. But it had to get done and Lance didn’t seem too keen on spending any more time with the kitten.

Shiro set the kitten down on the side of the metal basin and pulled on a clean pair of gloves. Turning the water on, he let the tub fill a couple of inches before shutting the faucet off. “Okay, nice and easy.” He said, not entirely sure he was talking to himself or the kitten.

The kitten stared up at him with solemn eyes, seeming to sort of understand what was happening. 

Shiro lifted him gently and set him in the warm water slowly. The kitten kicked his back legs and Shiro tensed, ready for a struggle. But once he was sitting in the water, the kitten sat and looked around himself calmly. Shiro kept his hands firm around the kitten’s bony shoulders just in case. He held him like that for a few moments before letting go.

The kitten sat there and moved his tail slowly. His eyes finally landed back on Shiro, and he just watched.

Shiro smiled. “See? Not too bad right?” 

Shiro went on to bathe the kitten, careful of his new stitches. He only turning the water back on to fill a cup and use it to rinse the kitten off after he had been defleaed and shampooed. 

After being rinsed the kitten shivered. He blinked up sleepily at Shiro who chuckled softly and lifted him again. The kitten tried to shake off the excess water, managing to cover Shiro’s face in little droplets. Shiro couldn’t help but laugh softly. He let the basin drain before grabbing a clean towel and wrapping the kitten in it gently. 

“Here we go buddy. All done.” He crooned softly, wiping the kitten’s face gently. “You did so good!” 

The kitten yawned and curled up in the towel, purring as Shiro rubbed his fur with the warm towel. 

Shiro carried him to the holding room where other animals were recovering from procedures. He padded an empty cage with another towel before settling the kitten inside and closing the cage. “There we go. All good.” The kitten slept soundly in his mound of towels, residual purring soft. 

Shiro filled out a chart and attached it to the cage so the next shift knew what was happening with the kitten before going to wash up and head to his office and continue working.

The rest of the day went surprisingly fast. He saw some dogs, checked up on a rabbit who had surgery recently, and took in a couple of emergency visits before it was time to head home. 

Before clocking out Shiro stopped in the holding room to see his friend from that morning. His mind was busy but it always went back to the small kitten that seemed like so much trouble but was still so sweet. Shiro just wanted to make sure he was okay for the next shift. That was it. 

The kitten was still asleep, small back rising and falling with deep breaths. He had moved a bit in his sleep as evident from the rustled towels. But otherwise he seemede at peace. Shiro smiled softly, feeling satisfied, and headed home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro gets a late night call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay here we are again hello hi so just in case it wasn’t obvious I AM NOT A VETERINARIAN. I don’t have any medical training. Just good ol’ Google. So if something I do in this fic doesn’t make sense I’m sorry. Also it looks like I’ll have at least a couple more chapters on this.

Shiro rubbed his eyes as he was roused from sleep. His phone vibrated loudly on his nightstand, moving slightly every time it rang.

He groaned softy and stretched his prosthetic arm over and answered his phone. 

“Hello?” He murmured, barely stifling a yawn. 

“Shiro, man, you gotta get down here.” One of the night shift vets, Hunk, said frantically. “That cat you took care of today? He’s freakin’ out, man.”

Suddenly and all at once Shiro was awake. “What do you mean by freaking out?”

“He’s scratched two nurses already and got out of his holding cage. We had to get a blanket and wrap him in it just to grab him but he isn’t calming down at all. He’s really distressed. Lance said you were the only one who had any luck with him so I was wondering-“

“I’m on my way.” Shiro said, already rolling out of bed. He hung up with Hunk after making sure the kitten wasn’t hurt and was left in a room alone. The less damage he could cause to the nurses and doctors the better.

With that tiny spark of adrenaline Shiro got dressed in record time. Luckily his apartment wasn’t too far from the pet hospital. Normally he would take his time walking but tonight he slid into his car and gunned it.

When he arrived it was a pretty quiet night. There was the occasional animal noise from emergency cases being taken care of but other than those the night shifts were fairly quiet.

Shiro walked to the nurses station to ask for Hunk. The nurses barely had the chance to look up before Hunk was running down the hall and grabbing Shiro, pulling him to an exam room that had the door closed. 

“Dude thank you so much for coming. I didn’t know what else to do and I figured if we tried sedating him we could hurt him and-“

“Hunk, Hunk,” Shiro said, smiling. “It’s okay. I’m happy to help. I know this guy has been having a bit of a problem settling. But hopefully I can do something.”

Hunk looked near tears, but he nodded. “Okay. Just be careful...” 

Shiro nodded and turned to open the door. The exam room didn’t look as bad as it had earlier in the day when he first met the kitten. Nothing was overturned or broken. There was a discarded blanket in the middle of the floor along with some small smears of blood. Then there was a bit of black fur shivering in the corner of the room. 

Smiling softly, Shiro closed the door behind himself and crouched down. 

Purple eyes opened and looked right at Shiro. The kitten seemed to lose a bit of tension when he saw the man. He blinked owlishly and retracted his claws. 

“Oh, good. You remember me.” Shiro said softly, grinning. “It’s alright little guy.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of pieces of kitten kibble. “Remember this?”

The kitten meowed curiously and walked over to him, limping slightly. His thin black tail swayed as he walked, going right to Shiro’s hand and sniffing the food. 

As the kitten ate, Shiro took the time to look him over. The bath earlier really helped. His coat shined in the bright lights of the exam room. But the blood on the floor didn’t escape Shiro’s notice. 

Once the kitten had finished the kibble Shiro took him into his arms gently. The kitten went with him easily, purring softly and licking his mouth to get the remnants of his snack. 

Shiro chuckled softly. “I’m glad we’re still friends.” He said, stroking his flesh and blood hand over the kitten’s head. The kitten purred more and pushed his head into the palm of Shiro’s hand. 

This small motion tugged at Shiro’s heart. This kitten obviously trusted him. For what reason Shiro had no idea. He supposed it could have been the food. But anyone could have given him food. He sighed. It would be a mystery for another day. Right now he had work to do.

“Sorry I left you alone.” Shiro mumbled. “Let’s patch you back up hm?”

The kitten was a little more tense when Shiro took him to another room and set him on a metal exam table. When Shiro left and came back with a nurse the kitten raised his hackles and bared his teeth. Seeing this, Shiro smiled sheepishly at the kitten. 

“Come on. You’re kind of a handful. I need someone to help.”

The kitten didn’t budge. The nurse looked frightened, and truth be told Shiro didn’t blame her. The kitten had already made a reputation for himself. 

“Okay then. Looks like I’ll be taking care of this alone.” He said. The nurse quickly left the room and Shiro huffed out a laugh. 

“I’ve never seen anyone so scared over a little ball of fur.” He said, grinning softly. 

The kitten relaxed a bit but stared at the open door. Shiro moved over to close it and he put his hands on his hips. “Alright then. Just you and me.”

Shiro went to start up the sleeping gas when the kitten hissed. When he looked over Shiro could see how frightened the kitten was of him so suddenly. Shiro tilted his head slightly and offered his prosthetic hand. The kitten folded his ears back, but didn’t hiss again or even bare his teeth at the offered limb. 

“You don’t want to be under.” Shiro said, understanding suddenly. He got it. The last time the kitten had been put under for stitches he woke up alone. Probably disoriented. Scared. 

Shiro hummed softly. “We can try doing it with you awake. But you have to promise to not hurt me.” He said, sticking a metal pinky out.

The kitten sniffed the offered digit before biting down gently. Shiro moved his pinky up and down slightly in a gentle agreement. He couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright. Deal.”

As Shiro prepped he thought in the back of his mind how peculiar this situation was. He was making agreements with a kitten like he was human. For some reason Shiro was the only one who got along with him. The kitten seemed to only trust him.

The logical answer would be in the kitten’s unknown past. He probably endured a lot of abuse in his short life to end up so distrustful of humans. 

So then why did he trust Shiro?

Hands washed and gloves on, Shiro began to remove the older stitches over the kitten’s wound and restitch it. The kitten laid still, his purple eyes open and focused on Shiro. Glancing down, Shiro smiled at him. “You’re doing great. Almost done.” 

The kitten huffed and curled his tail.

After fifteen minutes Shiro tied off the stitches and wrapped a bandage around it. “There. All done.” He took his gloves off and stroked the kitten’s head gently. “Wow, you’re a champ little guy.”

The kitten purred softly and nuzzled Shiro’s hand, making the man grin.

“Now, let’s-“

Shiro blinked as his thoughts caught up to him. He couldn’t leave the kitten here. What if there was another issue? And what if he hurt himself again? Or hurt someone else? Shiro had a shift in less than six hours. He wouldn’t be able to come back if something happened...

As Shiro tried to figure it out, he unconsciously stroked the kitten’s soft black fur. The kitten preened under his touch and let out soft, contented chirrups. 

Shiro blinked, surprised at the sounds. They tugged at his heart. He couldn’t just...leave him.

Sighing softly, Shiro smiled. 

“Let’s go home.”  
—  
After being wiped down the kitten was bundled up in a soft fleece blanket covered in paws. These were usually saved for kittens and puppies who were newly adopted and going to their forever homes. In a way Shiro thought it was fitting. Looking down at the sleepy and warm kitten, Shiro couldn’t imagine leaving without him. 

“Heading out?” 

Shiro turned to see Hunk walking over, smiling. 

“Yep. Just gotta sign this guy out.”

Hunk blinked. “You’re taking him with you?”

Shiro shrugged. “Seems like he’d be more relaxed at home with me. I don’t want him freaking out and hurting himself and other people while he heals.”

“Good call, I’m just...surprised. You don’t think Adam will mind?”

Shiro grinned softly at the thought of Adam interacting with the kitten. “Nah. I always tell him he needs to make more friends. Maybe this’ll be the push he needs to socialize. Plus he’s good with cats. I think he secretly is one.” 

He and Hunk shared a soft laugh. 

“Alright man, well good luck.” Hunk reached over to stroke the kitten’s head. “Good luck little g-“

The kitten growled from his warm bundle and Hunk pulled his hand away like he’d been burned. “O-Oh.”

Shiro pet the kitten, earning himself some content purrs. “Sorry. You know how he is.”

Hunk watched in awe. “Yeah....”

Shiro held the kitten with one arm while he pulled out his file from behind the nurse’s station. 

He made sure his second procedure was noted and signed off on. He went to make a note about the kitten going home when he caught the name of the person who dropped him off. There wasn’t a last name, just a hurriedly scribbled first. But there was something Shiro liked about it. 

After making his notes and putting the file away Shiro held the bundled up kitten in both his arms and started the walk home.

“How about that for a name?” Shiro asked the kitten as he dozed.

“Keith...I like it. Come on Keith. Let’s go meet Adam.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam meets Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This feels like filler but it’s mostly background for Adam and a little more insight into Shiro’s history.

Adam looked up from his place on the couch. The morning light was just starting to shine through the shades of the living room. Shiro had been out all night again despite having worked all day. It made Adam worry but there wasn’t much he could do.

The front door opened and Shiro walked in. Seeing Adam sit up he smiled, apologetic and soft. “Hey. Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

Adam shook his head and unfolded off of the couch. He stretched and walked over, nuzzling Shiro’s thigh.

Shiro chuckled and ran his free hand through Adam’s short fur. “Hey buddy. Thanks for holding down the fort while I was gone.”

Adam snuffed and looked up to what Shiro had in his prosthetic arm. Whatever it was smelled like the place Shiro worked. It wasn’t unusual for Shiro to come home smelling of the clinic but he never brought anything home. Well, nothing since Adam came home with him. And that was six years ago.

Shiro knelt down and peeled back the little blanket to reveal an inky black spot nestled in the middle. “Here we are...”

Adam blinked. Why was Shiro showing him a stained blanket? He leaned forward and sniffed. Suddenly the stain moved and pressed against his nose. It was cold and wet, and Adam sneezed. 

The spot startled and Shiro quickly went to soothe it by stroking it. “Keith, it’s okay. Sorry. Adam doesn’t have very good eyesight.”

Adam moved forward again and sniffed. He concentrated more and could smell a creature. It was scared and hurt. No wonder Shiro had brought it home. Shiro had a soft spot for special cases. Adam would know. 

The spot moved towards Adam again, sensing no danger or ill will. They touched noses again and this time Adam was prepared. He licked the soft nose gently. His big tongue ended up against the entirety of Keith’s face. Shiro burst out laughing as Keith blinked and purred curiously, the fur of his face stuck out in points and dripping with dog saliva.

It was a huge relief. Shiro knew the old adage of dogs and cats disliking each other. But both of these creatures were so different than any other cat or dog.

Adam was a special case from a few years back. He had been a service dog whose eyesight had deteriorated enough that he was no longer deemed “useful”. He was surrendered at the vet after Shiro determined there was nothing they could do. Not only did it enrage Shiro that the company supplying the dog had given him up after he served his purpose but Allura also mentioned how poorly older dogs, especially ones with disabilities, did in shelters. Shiro ended up taking Adam home that same day. 

It ended up working out well. After the motorcycle accident that took his arm it was suggested to him that Shiro get a service dog. Sometimes it was hard for him to get out of bed, emotionally or physically. Sometimes he had nightmares and it was hard to calm down when he lived alone. He had started taking more hours at the clinic because what was the difference when he wasn’t sleeping anyway? He ran himself ragged in running away from his nightmares. So Adam came right in time and saved Shiro from himself.

And while Shiro didn’t know Keith’s entire history he knew that Keith would fit right in on this island of misfits. 

“Come on you two.” Shiro said. “Bedtime. I got a whole day off to make sure Keith settles in. But I feel he’ll have an okay time.”

As if proving Shiro’s point, Keith jumped down from his arm and walked up to Adam. He sniffed at the dog’s tall legs. He was small enough that he would walk between Adam’s legs and right under his body. His perky black ears barely brushed against Adam’s undercarriage as he kept walking and sniffing. Adam let him, watching the black spot disappear between his back legs. 

Shiro bit his lip to prevent himself from laughing as he watched the two interact. Adam’s forehead was practically on the floor as he watched Keith curiously. His ears were flopped on the floor. Keith was just so interested in his new friend. And he wasn’t afraid at all. Maybe he had good rapport with dogs and not so much with humans. It would make a little sense. 

Keith looped back around and rubbed against Adam’s legs, purring. Adam licked his back and wagged his tail happily. Shiro’s heart was melting. They were getting along so much better than he ever hoped.

He knew it wouldn’t be hard. Adam was good about other animals. He was patient and kind. It’s what made him such a good service dog. He was more worried about Keith but...it was going so well.

He sat on the floor with them as they sniffed each other and Adam got a better look at Keith to recognize his shape. Keith tried climbing Adam’s legs as Adam watched on. It was another relief to see Keith was still playful despite the trauma he experienced. 

Eventually Keith got sleepy. He walked over and curled up in Shiro’s lap. “Hold on there little one.” Shiro mumbled. If Keith was settled enough to sleep maybe they could all sleep.

He stood up and held Keith in his arm. “Alright boys. I think it’s time for some sleep bonding.”

Adam wagged his tail and walked behind Shiro, occasionally bumping into his legs. Shiro would reach back each time and stroke between his ears to reassure him he was okay. Since Shiro rarely shuffled furniture around Adam knew where all the furniture was and how far he would have to jump to get onto the bed. Once he sat on the rumpled bed Shiro let Keith down to explore. 

Keith immediately went to sniff Adam before walking around to sniff the sheets and pillows. It all smelled like Shiro and Adam here. It smelled warm and soft. It was comfortable. 

Shiro got up and went to undress in his adjoining bathroom. When he came back Adam was curled up in his usual spot at the foot of the bed. Keith was still awake, sitting with his tail curled around his paws and violet eyes watching the doorway. Shiro smiled. “Waiting for me?”

He sat down in the bed and yawned before pulling the blankets over Adam and then himself before lying down. Keith regarded him silently for a few moments before walking over. Shiro watched as Keith sniffed his arm, his tuft of hair that fell over his forehead, before settling on the space between Shiro’s neck and shoulder. He curled himself into a ball and purred softly.

Shiro smiled. Having the two so close made him feel safe. He closed his eyes and was able to drift off easier than normal, dreaming of Keith looking up at him with deep violet eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep still here. Idk if I’m going to write anything beyond this chapter but I’ll keep it open ended.

Keith went over to the front door and curled his tail around his paws. The sun was starting to set. That meant it was almost time for Shiro to walk back through the door. 

Adam’s ears perked up and he opened his eyes to look towards where the soft sound had come from. Since it had been at least a few weeks since Shiro brought the kitten home Adam had gotten used to hearing his soft sounds occasionally during the day. And now he was getting used to the schedule the kitten kept.

Keith didn’t seem to keen on socializing. As soon as Shiro left for work Keith would watch him from the window until he was completely out of sight. Then Keith would wander off, not eating or drinking anything from his designated bowls on the counter top until Shiro came home. 

It wasn’t odd. Adam had been around plenty of other rescues when Shiro took him along to his shifts. He was used to the skittish nature of rescues. He didn’t want to push Keith into a friendship if he was uncomfortable. 

Plus if Keith deemed him a threat and attacked there was only so much Adam could do with limited eyesight. 

The front door opened and Shiro walked in with a jingle of his house key. “I’m home!” 

Keith ran the short distance to him and rubbed against his legs, purring loudly. Shiro chuckled and knelt down, petting his back gently. “Hey Keith! Did you miss me, huh?”

Shiro picked the kitten up and held him in his prosthetic arm. He let Keith gnaw playfully on his metal digits before going to Adam and petting his head. “Hey boy. Good day?”

Adam wagged his tail and let his tongue hang freely. He panted happily as Shiro scratched between his ears. “What a good boy.” Shiro cooed. Keith climbed up Shiro’s arm and perched on his shoulder. He peered down at Adam as if he was just noticing the dog was there. 

Shiro let out a long, tired sigh before settling next to Adam on the couch. He didn’t even bother taking off his white coat. “Long day for me.” He mumbled, stroking the back of Adam’s head. 

Keith jumped down from his perch and sniffed at Adam’s head. Adam opened his eyes and stared at the kitten as he sniffed. Keith watched Adam cautiously as he took in the dog’s scent. 

Bemused, Shiro watched the two interact. This was better than television. But he was also watching to make sure they would be okay with each other. Sure no fur flew while he was at work but Shiro just wanted to be sure. They still seemed tense with each other. Or rather Keith still seemed tense with Adam.

Luckily Adam was patient. He didn’t move too quickly and let Keith explore. If Keith got a little too friendly Adam would just lick his face, making Keith take a couple steps back and clean himself before going back to sniffing. 

Once Shiro was satisfied that no one would bite each other he got up and went to make himself dinner. Adam followed him, and Keith watched from the couch for a moment before following as well.

Shiro filled Keith’s bowl first. The kitten would confuse Adam’s bowl for his at first and tried to guard it. One of the first days Keith came to live with them he confused his bowl for Adam’s, and when Adam got too close Keith swiped at him. So Shiro decided they needed to be fed in order. 

The bowl was on the counter so Keith didn’t just sit and guard it while Adam was in the room. Shiro lifted Keith gently and sat him in front of his bowl. Keith sniffed it delicately before eating. Every so often he would stop mid meal and use his paws to clean his face before continuing. Shiro would watch him for a few minutes to make sure he felt comfortable enough to eat before feeding Adam. Once the two animals were set Shiro started on his own meal.

It felt nice to eat in the kitchen with them. Their soft eating noises comforted Shiro in that they were both getting nutritious food and to sate Shiro’s need to have meals with other people; Or creatures in this case which was even better. He got enough socializing with people at work.

Once dinner was over Shiro washed his dishes and went to sit back in the living room to watch some television. Adam followed and laid at his feet. Keith stayed in the kitchen and cleaned his paws one last time before trotting in the room. He sat a few feet from the couch and watched the two.

Shiro didn’t notice for a few moments. But when he felt a lack of claws kneading his thigh like they had been for a couple weeks now he looked around. Seeing Keith just staring at him and Adam made him a little nervous. 

“Hey buddy. You okay?” He asked. 

Keith’s tail swayed once before curling up around him again. He stood up and walked over, sniffing Adam. The dog looked at him, ears perked up and confused, until Keith batted his nose.

“Keith.” Shiro warned. 

The kitten looked up at Shiro innocently. Adam sneezed and Keith’s ears flattened on his head as he was covered in dog spit. Shiro couldn’t help but laugh. “Serves you right. He wasn’t doing anything.” 

Keith looked less than impressed. He sauntered to the corner of the room and started to clean himself. Shiro chuckled and shook his head. At least they were polite to each other. 

As the late afternoon became evening Shiro went about his nightly routine of walking Adam around the neighborhood. Since Keith joined their house Shiro had included him on their walks. He gotten a little harness and leash for Keith in case he felt adventurous on their outings but Keith didn’t venture further than Shiro’s arms. 

Adam was a fairly good walker for his bad eyesight. Sometimes Shiro would have to hold his leash a little tight when another dog being walked approached them and got too friendly. But Adam was friendly enough and was patient when kids wanted to pet him and say hello. 

Keith...not so much.

Which was another reason for the harness and leash. If someone got too friendly with Keith he would hiss and arch his back and his claws would come out. He had sent kids running scared more than once. 

So now when people, kids especially, wanted to pet Keith he would make up a story about how Keith was actually a dragon in disguise so he was very cranky and would breathe fire if he left his perch on Shiro’s metal shoulder because it was made of magic. The kids would ‘ooooh’ and understand not wanting to upset a dragon. More often than not they walked away preoccupied with the thought of magic than the sadness of not being able to pet a kitten.

Eventually the trio would reach a park where Shiro could unleash Adam and throw a ball for him. Keith usually sat in the grass at Shiro’s feet while Shiro kept the handle of the kitten’s leash under his foot. He always made sure to give Keith plenty of leeway to walk around in the grass if he wanted but Keith seemed more interested in watching Adam run back and forth. 

When Shiro’s arm got tired he would whistle to get Adam to come over so he could be leashed again and they all made their way home. Shiro would take a shower and curl up in bed with a book.

Adam loped into the room and, with Shiro’s help, got onto the bed. Shiro would stroke his fur absently while he read for a while. It wasn’t until Shiro’s eyes got tired and he turned the light out that Keith would walk in from whatever cat business he was attending to. 

It would take a little bit for Keith to settle. He would walk around the bed, staring up at the two occupants with glowing eyes. The first few nights Shiro found this peculiar. He tried to reach out and help Keith up but each time Keith ignored him. So now Shiro took to watching him pace in the dark.

Eventually when Keith felt ready he would back up and jump onto the bed, clawing his way up the small distance he couldn’t reach. He would sniff Adam and crawl around him before going to sniff Shiro.

Shiro grinned softly at the small kitten. “Hey buddy.” He whispered. Keith regarded him with solemn eyes before curling up in the space between Shiro’s shoulder and neck. 

After he settled, Keith would start purring. It was so soft that Shiro barely heard it even though Keith was so close to his ear. But it was such a sweet sound, and it never failed to lull Shiro to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shiro has nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year!!!

The nightmares always came when he least expected them. There would be weeks, months without any flashbacks. Sometimes Shiro would wonder if he had made it over the final proverbial step and was finally ‘healed’.

It never lasted though. This time Keith had been with them for two months and hadn’t experienced it with Shiro. 

The night was like any other; Shiro came home from work to his animals. They ate dinner and watched television together. Shiro took the two on a walk and brushed his teeth before sliding into bed. He finished reading a book he had picked up the previous week and turned off the light. 

Adam was already mostly asleep in his place at the foot of the bed. And as soon as the light was out Keith wandered in from the other room. He cleaned himself in the doorway, occasionally stopping to watch Shiro and Adam sleep. 

He was about to end his nightly ritual by jumping on the bed when a small noise caught his attention. Looking over to the bed it didn’t look to him like anyone had moved. Maybe it was an outside noise. Keith had gotten used to most of them but maybe it was a new one. Once it seemed like everything was okay Keith jumped gracefully onto the bed. 

Shiro often slept on his back. This made it easy for Keith to curl up in his favorite place to sleep between Shiro’s neck and shoulder. But tonight Shiro was lying on his side with his arms sprawled out in front of him. Keith huffed and tried curling up between his arms. It worked for a while and Keith started to doze off. 

It was nearly half an hour later when Shiro yelped. Keith scrambled off the bed and hid under the dresser. He watched from there to see if Shiro would get up, start yelling at him for getting on the bed or being too loud. He waited and waited. But Shiro never got up, and he never yelled. Slowly Keith crawled out from under the dresser. He was a little dusty but otherwise unharmed. 

Adam was sitting up in bed, watching Shiro. He was lying on his other side and twisting his head back and forth. Keith didn’t recognize this as a normal thing Shiro did as he slept. Keith jumped back onto the bed and sat next to Adam, curling his tail neatly around his paws. 

Shiro whined in the back of his throat again and thrashed. Keith flinched but Adam didn’t. Instead the dog jumped down off the bed and and went over to turn the light on using his nose against the switch. 

Keith blinked to adjust to the change in light. Shiro didn’t notice in his deep sleep. Instead he started tossing and turning, whining. His blankets got thrown aside as his movements became more frantic and his whining turned into cries. Adam jumped back onto the bed and laid down against Shiro’s side. Shiro rolled into him but Adam was a solid presence. He didn’t move, and eventually this calmed Shiro down. He stopped thrashing and eventually came to rest with his chest against Adam’s side and an arm flung over him. 

Adam tucked his head between his paws and let out a sigh. Shiro was covered in sweat and panting softly but otherwise he seemed okay. 

It all happened so fast. Keith watched Shiro wake up from his nightmare. The kitten was ready to bolt in case Shiro became aggressive, but it was the complete opposite. Shiro blinked a few times and sighed heavily. Petting Adam’s back Shiro smiled sadly. “Thanks, boy.” Adam rumbled softly. 

Keith could sense the fear coming from Shiro, as well as sadness. No anger. Nothing to denote he would become violent. The coast was clear.

Noticing the kitten, Shiro reached over and offered his hand for Keith to sniff. “Hey bud.” He said tiredly. “Sorry if I scared you.”

Keith sniffed Shiro’s hand and bumped his head against it. Shiro chuckled softly and scratched under his chin. It took a moment but Keith started to purr. “Thanks buddy.” Shiro said softly. “Come on, let’s try to sleep.” He said, lying on his back next to Adam. Keith crawled over slowly and took his sleeping place back. He curled into himself into a ball and purred against Shiro’s neck.

Shiro absently scratched Keith’s back until he dozed off, his hand falling away gently.   
—  
After that night Shiro didn’t seem different. He was a little more tired than usual the following couple days but eventually he caught up on his sleep and went back to normal. It was curious to Keith. He had nightmares but he didn’t know humans did too. And Adam knew exactly what to do for Shiro.

Every night since then Keith took to watching him for a while until he felt sure Shiro wasn’t going to have nightmares. It was a week after the incident and Shiro was sleeping peacefully that Keith made a promise. He swore he would help Shiro next time he had a nightmare. After all, Shiro had done so much for him.  
—  
The wind ruffled his hair gently. His leather jacket flapped as the wheels under him took him further and further down the road. He felt free.

He had taken a two week vacation. It was just him, his motorcycle Black, and the open road. He didn’t have any sort of set destination; it was more about what he saw. He stayed in hotels when he got tired and tried restaurants he usually wouldn’t. For once he just wanted to feel free. From school, from work. 

He should have known it wouldn’t end well.

A car took a blind corner too fast and drifted to Shiro’s side of the road. Suddenly the sky was straight ahead of him. He was lying on his back instead of on his motorcycle and it felt like he couldn’t breathe.

There was a sound of screeching tires on the road and suddenly someone was next to him. Shiro tilted his head to the side to look at her. He couldn’t really see them. His vision was really blurry. The person was saying something but he couldn’t hear above a muted mumble. 

“Wha...” Shiro tried to ask. His jaw felt like someone had punched him and his tongue felt like lead. He was really tired all at once.

The person above him slapped him. It stung but Shiro was too tired to be mad about it. He felt so tired. 

His memories came in flashes after that. Being wheeled down a hallway with blinding lights. A nurse pushing a needle into his arm. Incessant beeping and alarms. 

“Stop...please...” he mumbled. It didn’t even sound like his voice was coming from his mouth. “What’s going on?”

Suddenly his eyes opened and he was in a different room. It seemed familiar somehow. But it was definitely different than the place he had just been.

And there was a gentle weight on his chest.

He tilted his chin against his chest to see a black kitten staring at him with wide violet eyes. He had a paw extended as if to hit Shiro. Adam was sitting up behind him, ready to take action if necessary.

“Keith.” Shiro rasped.

The kitten had woken him up from his nightmare. 

Shiro grinned softly and scratched Keith’s back.

“Good kitty.”

**Author's Note:**

> Idk let me know what you think and if you want more.


End file.
